Hillman Grad
Hillman Grad is a boutique creative entertainment company founded by Lena Waithe that produces film, TV, branded content, and podcasts for underrepresented storytellers, with a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group and a nonprofit foundation running mentorship and seed-funding programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hillman Grad does
Hillman Grad is a privately held, boutique creative entertainment company founded in 2018 by Emmy Award-winning writer, actor, and producer Lena Waithe, headquartered in Encino, California. It operates four integrated divisions: a Film & Television production arm (Hillman Grad Productions), a Branded Content studio (Hillman Grad Branded), a Podcasts division (launched 2022), and the Hillman Grad Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing the Mentorship Lab and Rising Voices programs. The company develops and produces feature films and series for major studios and streamers including Netflix, BET, Disney+, Amazon, Universal, Showtime, HBO/HBO Max, and Focus Features, and holds a multi-year exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.
The company's revenue is generated through professional-services arrangements across two principal streams: studio/streaming production deals (where Hillman Grad develops and produces content on behalf of a distributor that typically controls rights and licensing) and branded content partnerships with major consumer and entertainment brands (AT&T, Netflix, Showtime, Sephora, Dove, Häagen-Dazs, Indeed, Mercedes-Benz, Viacom). A third, smaller stream comes from podcast production (KYM on Audible; Legacy Talk with Lemonada Media). The Foundation is funded separately via donations to support tuition-free mentorship and $100,000 production grants; it does not generate revenue for the operating company. There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying "product" is human creative talent and the production infrastructure (an 18-person team with named division presidents and VPs) required to develop, package, and deliver content.
The company's core customer segments are major studios and streaming platforms seeking diverse content, enterprise brand partners seeking culturally relevant creative solutions, and underrepresented creatives seeking industry access. Go-to-market is sales-led (direct deals with studios and brands) and event-driven (Sundance and Tribeca premieres function as both distribution and validation mechanisms). The firm is founder-led: Lena Waithe is Founder, Rishi Rajani is CEO, and senior leadership includes dedicated division heads for Film & TV, Branded, Podcasts, and the Foundation. No institutional investors, private equity backing, or parent company ownership is disclosed.
Hillman Grad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hillman Grad
- Website
- https://hillmangrad.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hillman Grad is a boutique creative entertainment company founded by Lena Waithe that produces film, TV, branded content, and podcasts for underrepresented storytellers, with a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group and a nonprofit foundation running mentorship and seed-funding programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hillman Grad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Production Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
Keywords
Where Hillman Grad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hillman Grad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Studio/Streaming Production Deals: Hillman Grad develops and produces film and television content for major studios and streaming platforms including Netflix, BET, Disney+, Amazon, Universal, Showtime, HBO/HBO Max, and Focus Features. They have a multi-year exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.
- Branded Content Partnerships: The company creates culturally relevant branded content solutions for brands including Indeed, Häagen-Dazs, Sephora, Showtime, Netflix, Dove, AT&T, Mercedes-Benz, and Viacom. Services include creative development, direction, marketing strategy, experiential marketing, and production.
- Podcast Production: Hillman Grad produces podcasts including KYM (Audible exclusive) and Legacy Talk (produced with Lemonada Media, available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts).
- Foundation Donations: The Hillman Grad Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accepts donations to support mentorship and funding programs for underrepresented creatives.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Hillman Grad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hillman Grad is a boutique creative entertainment company that develops and produces feature films, television series, podcasts, and books, alongside branded content for major marketers. It operates through three commercial divisions—Film & TV Productions, a Branded Content Studio, and a Podcast Production arm—and houses the Hillman Grad Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the tuition-free Mentorship Lab and Rising Voices grant program to develop underrepresented creatives.
Product overview
Hillman Grad is a boutique creative entertainment company founded by Lena Waithe operating across three main divisions: Film & TV Productions, Branded Content Studio, and Podcasts. The Film & TV Productions arm develops and produces feature films and television series, including Showtime's longest-running Black drama 'The Chi,' Universal Pictures' 'Queen & Slim,' and award-winning Sundance films 'A Thousand and One' and 'Kokomo City.' The Branded division creates culturally relevant creative solutions for major brands including Indeed, Häagen-Dazs, Sephora, Showtime, Netflix, Dove, AT&T, and Mercedes-Benz. The company also operates Hillman Grad Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing the Mentorship Lab and Rising Voices programs that provide mentorship and funding to underrepresented creatives. Hillman Grad signed a multi-year exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group and has projects in development across Netflix, BET, Disney+, Amazon, Universal, Showtime, HBO/HBO Max, and Focus Features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hillman Grad Foundation: Nonprofit 501(c)(3) arm of the company that educates and supports creatives from underrepresented communities through Mentorship Lab and Rising Voices programs.
- Hillman Grad Podcasts
Products and services
- Hillman Grad Productions (Film & TV) Development and production arm producing film and television projects for major studios and streaming platforms under a multi-year exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. Delivers produced feature films and premium series for partners across streaming and theatrical channels.
- Hillman Grad Branded (Branded Content Studio) Multidisciplinary studio and production house curating culturally relevant creative solutions for enterprise brands. Delivers creative development, creative direction, marketing and social media strategy, experiential marketing, talent procurement, seeding curation, earned media, and physical production.
- Hillman Grad Podcasts Podcast production division developing and producing original podcast series in partnership with audio platforms including Audible and Lemonada Media. Operates as the company's audio-content arm with multi-platform distribution across Audible, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.
- Hillman Grad Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit educating and supporting creatives from underrepresented communities through artistic-craft development and new perspectives in front of and behind the camera. Operates the Mentorship Lab and Rising Voices programs.
- Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab Tuition-free, six-month mentorship program for writers, actors, and aspiring creative executives. Provides personalized instruction, workshops, professional development, and networking opportunities through writing, acting, and executive development tracks.
- Rising Voices Career accelerator and filmmaking mentorship program awarding $100,000 production grants to emerging filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds. Grant recipients create short films that premiere at Tribeca Film Festival.
- KYM Original podcast series streaming exclusively on Audible, set in Los Angeles following a single middle-aged stand-up comic raising a young boy. Created by Kym Whitley, Lena Waithe, and Mark Alton Brown.
- Legacy Talk Award-winning podcast series offering curated, deeply personal interviews with iconic Black women trailblazers in the entertainment industry. Produced in partnership with Lemonada Media.
Quantifiable outcome
- A Thousand and One won Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2023
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hillman Grad
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hillman Grad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hillman Grad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- 12:01 Films (Scott Glassgold)core12:01 Films is co-producing 'Grand Rising' with Hillman Grad, Steven Caple Jr.'s Grey Skies Pictures, and Searchlight Pictures. The project involves adapting A.C. Robinson's short story into a psychological horror-thriller with Lena Waithe attached to adapt and Steven Caple Jr. directing.
- Searchlight PicturescoreSearchlight Pictures acquired film rights to A.C. Robinson's 'Grand Rising' in competitive bidding, with Lena Waithe attached to adapt and Steven Caple Jr. set to direct. Hillman Grad is involved as production partner.
- Lemonada MediacoreLegacy Talk podcast is produced by Hillman Grad and Lemonada Media, offering a curated look into careers of iconic Black trailblazers in entertainment. Now in its second season.
- IndeedmajorIndeed and Hillman Grad partnered on Rising Voices initiative to discover and invest in stories by BIPOC filmmakers centered around the power, meaning, and future of work. 40 filmmakers have received $100,000 production grants.
- Häagen-DazsmajorHäagen-Dazs and Hillman Grad partnered on 'That's Dazs' campaign tapping new generation of diverse creators. Häagen-Dazs committed $1.5 million over three years to support underrepresented creators.
- NetflixmajorNetflix partnered with Hillman Grad on 'Moments in Love,' a virtual concert series featuring five queer artists celebrating Black History Month and Pride Month in collaboration with Master of None season 3.
- DovemajorDove, Hillman Grad, and ATTN: partnered to create 'Girls Room,' a 5-part mini-series tackling pain and power of female adolescence through social media challenges. Won 2020 Tribeca X Award for Best Series.
- ViacomminorMTV (Viacom) partnered with Hillman Grad to produce a PSA shedding light on preventable maternal death coupled with resources to support expecting mothers.
- Warner Bros. Television GroupcoreMulti-year exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group for television content development and production.
- AT&TmajorAT&T and Hillman Grad partnered to create Hello Lab, an emerging filmmaker incubator program producing five short films and a digital series distributed on DIRECT TV and DIRECT TV NOW.
- SephoramajorSephora and Hillman Grad partnered to create a 4-part interview series with leading Black beauty founders spotlighting their impact on the beauty industry.
- ShowtimemajorShowtime partnered with Hillman Grad to produce 'Sounds from the Chi,' a musical journey for The Chi season 4 soundtrack amplifying the South Side Chicago coming-of-age story.
- Mercedes-BenzminorMercedes-Benz partnered with Hillman Grad for Ambition 2039 sustainability initiative, collaborating with Christopher Raeburn to encourage people to remix clothing.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hillman Grad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Macro: Macro is Charles D. King's production and talent-management company producing film, TV, and branded content for diverse creators. Like Hillman Grad, Macro holds major streamer deals (Netflix first-look), produces branded content for Fortune 500 brands, and operates a talent-development flywheel as a core capability.
- Hoorae Media: Hoorae is Issa Rae's multi-platform media company covering film/TV production, branded content, digital, and events. It is comparable to Hillman Grad in scope (productions, branded work, podcasts/series) and in mission-driven positioning around underrepresented storytellers, anchored by a marquee founder.
- ColorCreative: ColorCreative is a talent-management and production company co-founded by Issa Rae and Deniese Davis focused on underrepresented creators across film, TV, and digital. It mirrors Hillman Grad's combination of production services with a structured talent-development program (writers' rooms, labs) for diverse creators.
- JuVee Productions: JuVee Productions is Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's production company producing film, TV, and digital content focused on diverse voices and social impact. Comparable to Hillman Grad for its creator-led, mission-driven production model and slate of issue-driven film/TV projects for major distributors.
- ARRAY (Ava DuVernay): ARRAY is Ava DuVernay's film distribution and production collective focused on underrepresented filmmakers — the same mission-aligned, boutique creative-company model as Hillman Grad. Both operate a hybrid for-profit production arm plus a film-distribution / talent-development mission, and both are anchored by an A-list founder's brand equity.
- Monkeypaw Productions: Monkeypaw Productions is Jordan Peele's creator-led production company developing genre and social-thriller film/TV. It is comparable to Hillman Grad in being a boutique, founder-led imprint producing prestige genre and issue-driven content for major studios and streamers (Universal, Amazon, Netflix).
Broad incumbents
- Participant Media: Participant Media is a larger, established entertainment company producing socially conscious film, TV, and digital content, with comparable mission-driven positioning around underrepresented voices. It is a broad incumbent with deeper capital and a broader slate than Hillman Grad's boutique operation.
- A24: A24 is an independent entertainment company producing and distributing film, TV, and other media. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Hillman Grad in producing auteur-driven, culturally relevant content for major audiences, though at significantly greater scale and with a broader genre portfolio.
Emerging players
- Confluential Films: Confluential Films is a BIPOC-led production company founded by Tommy Oliver producing socially relevant film, TV, and digital content. It is an earlier-stage but mission-comparable peer to Hillman Grad, focused on building a slate of diverse storytelling for major outlets.
- 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks: 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is Spike Lee's production company producing independent film, TV, and branded content with a long-standing focus on Black storytelling. It is a comparable creator-led, mission-driven boutique, though with a much larger historical filmography than Hillman Grad.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hillman Grad social profiles
Digital presenceHillman Grad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hillman Grad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Hillman Grad subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Hillman Grad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hillman Grad M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hillman Grad
What does Hillman Grad do?
Hillman Grad is a boutique creative entertainment company that develops and produces feature films, television series, podcasts, and books, alongside branded content for major marketers. It operates through three commercial divisions—Film & TV Productions, a Branded Content Studio, and a Podcast Production arm—and houses the Hillman Grad Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the tuition-free Mentorship Lab and Rising Voices grant program to develop underrepresented creatives.
Is Hillman Grad a public or private company?
Hillman Grad is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hillman Grad founded?
Hillman Grad was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hillman Grad based?
Hillman Grad is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hillman Grad make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Studio/Streaming Production Deals are the primary driver. The others are branded Content Partnerships, podcast Production and foundation Donations.
Who are Hillman Grad's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Macro, Hoorae Media, ColorCreative, JuVee Productions, ARRAY (Ava DuVernay) and Monkeypaw Productions. Broad incumbents are Participant Media and A24. Emerging players are Confluential Films and 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks.
Does Hillman Grad have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hillman Grad.
What industry is Hillman Grad in?
Hillman Grad's product category is Entertainment Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAKAF, Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support, with a secondary code of EDANAKAI, Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects). Its NAICS code is 611710.